Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has dismissed the possibility that the planned Annapolis, Maryland conference on the Middle East will cause the collapse of his government despite threats by Shas and Israel Our Home (Yisrael Beiteinu). They have objected to discussions that involve dividing Jerusalem although Israel Is Our Home leader, Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman, has supported a land swap for parts of eastern Jerusalem.
"I don't see any political difficulty with this," Olmert told reporters during his European visit. "I gather from my meetings with coalition partners that the coalition is cohesive and stable."